The Bible tells us to forget not the benefits that God gives us in our relationship with Him (Psalm 133:1-5). What then do we gain from our new life in Christ?
Catechism number 15 lets us know…
What does God grant in your new life in Christ?
God grants me reconciliation with him (2 Corinthians 5:17–19), forgiveness of my sins (Colossians 1:13–14), union with him in Christ (Romans 6:3–5), adoption into his family (Galatians 4:4–7), citizenship in his kingdom (Ephesians 2:19–21; Philippians 3:20), new life in the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4–5), and the promise of eternal life ( John 3:16; 1 John 5:12).
When I first became a Christian there was a saying, “I am not religious, I have a relationship with Jesus”. It was meant to show that I do not just perform religious duties, but actually walk with Jesus like in the image above.
I have said this many times to people over the years. My heart was to show people there was more to my faith than just fulfilling “religious” duties, it was about being in relationship with Jesus.
The further I go on this journey of life I realise that being religious and being in relationship are both as important as each other. While we can do one without the other, it is best when we do both.
If we look up the definition of being religious in the dictionary it describes it as three things…
relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity
of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances
scrupulously and conscientiously faithful
When I think of the three things above, I want to be all three of them. I want to be faithfully devoted to my God, faithfully devoted to my beliefs, and conscientiously faithful.
The same goes for being in relationship with Jesus. Let us see the definition of the word relationship…
the state of being related or interrelated
a romantic or passionate attachment
the relation connecting or binding participants in a relationship: such as kinship
It is the same again. I want to be in a passionate relationship with Jesus, I want to be interrelated with God as His child, and I want to be bound to Him.
I want to be religious in my devotion to God. I want to do the things that make my connection strong, things like praying, reading the Bible, serving others, and spending time with people who share my faith.
These “religious” things also help me to walk closely with Jesus. It makes and keeps my relationship strong and growing. It keeps my roots firmly planted in Him.
Reflection verses
Colossians 2:6-7 NLT [6] And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. [7] Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Psalm 51 is a classic Psalm that talks of repentance and humility before God. It is a Psalm of truth and honesty before God and seeking forgiveness.
In my study Bible it tells me this is a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
David had done the wrong thing and he was confronted with God’s words by the Prophet Nathan. Rather than get defensive and try to discount what he had done, David confesses and seeks forgiveness.
In verses 7-11 we see this…
Psalm 51:7-11 NLT – Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. [8] Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me- now let me rejoice. [9] Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. [10] Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. [11] Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
David not only wants and seeks forgiveness, but he wants a new clean heart with a loyal spirit. He wants a clean heart and loyal spirit so he will not sin again.
Earlier in the passage we see that David admits his sin and acknowledges his sin is ultimately against God…
Psalm 51:4 NLT – Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
When I read Psalm 51, I begin to understand what true repentance looks like. David acknowledged his sins and asked for forgiveness, and he also wanted God to make him faithful so he would not sin again.
When David asks for a new heart and a loyal spirit he was asking for the strength, desire and grace to be truly faithful to God. He wanted to be pure and blameless in His eyes.
David was not perfect, far from it, but God still described Him as a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). David wanted his sins blotted out and to sin no more.
Here is another prayer I put together for my prayer beads. I thought I thought I would share it.
My heart in this one is to be a living sacrifice to God and then doing the things like prayer, Bible reading and serving that help us to live it out.
Praying using Scripture helps us both to pray and meditate on God’s Word. Two things that definitely help us to be living sacrifices.
Cross
In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen
Invitatory bead
Romans 12:1 NLT
[1] And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
Cruciform 1
Matthew 16:24 NLT
[24] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Weeks beads 1
Lord, help me to take up my cross daily and follow You (x7)
Cruciform 2
Psalm 1:1-3 NLT
[1] Oh, the joys of those who… [2] …delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. [3] They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Weeks beads 2
Lord, help me to read and meditate on Your Word every day (x7)
Cruciform 3
Philippians 4:6 NLT
[6] Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Weeks beads 3
Lord, help me to spend time with You in prayer each day (x7)
Cruciform 4
1 Peter 4:10 NLT
[10] God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
Weeks beads 4
Lord, help me to serve You each day by using my gifts to serve others (x7)
End Cruciform
Matthew 6:9-13 KJV
[9] Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
End Invitatory
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, a world without end. Amen.
End Cross
In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen
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